Your Internet service provider might also be able to help if you think your computer could have been affected.

Scroll to the bottom ofwww.dcwg.org/detect to see a list of the pages set up by providers for users.

If you discover that your computer
has been infected, you can follow the steps at www.dcwg.org/fix. It is
recommended to back up your files.

The
cause of the crash is a piece of software, which was designed to redirect you from trusted websites to other sites in a bid to steal personal information and which found its way onto hundreds of thousands of computers
last year.

When
the attack was noticed, the FBI took the unusual step of setting up a
'safety-net', routing infected machines through their server to stop the
'spoof' attacks.

These
servers will be taken down on 12.01 a.m. on Monday, July 9, and when this happens, people
still infected are likely to lose their internet connection without
warning.

The warnings about the problem have
been splashed across Facebook and Google. Internet service providers
have sent notices, and the FBI has set up its special website.

If you wish to check if your computer is at risk, visit http://www.dns-ok.us (linked above) and hopefully you will see the 'all clear' sign

Despite
repeated alerts, the number of computers that probably are infected is
more than 277,000 worldwide, down from about 360,000 in April.

Of those still infected, the FBI believes that about 64,000 are in the United States.

Users whose computers are still
infected on Monday will lose their ability to go online, and they will
have to call their service providers for help deleting the malware and
reconnecting to the Internet.

According to Tom Grasso, an FBI
supervisory special agent, many Internet providers are ready for the
problem and have plans to try to help their customers.

Grasso
said other Internet providers may come up with technical solutions that
they will put in place on Monday that will either correct the problem
or provide information to customers.

If the Internet providers correct the
server problem, the Internet will work, but the malware will remain on
victims' computers and could pose future problems.

In addition to individual computer owners, about 50 Fortune 500 companies are still infected, Grasso said.